This invention relates generally to a welding control system and, more particularly to an automatic control system for gas metal arc welding (GMAW).
GMAW welding is a well known process in which a shielding gas is used to isolate a workpiece being welded from the surrounding atmosphere. Equipment typically used in the MIG process includes shielding gas supplies, welding wire feeders, welding power sources, electrically controlled welding electrodes, and fixtures for positioning a workpiece being welded. In many applications, electrical circuits are provided for automatically controlling the various components in a welding system. The provision of automatic controls, however, is complicated by the fact that different manufacturers of welding equipment employ dissimilar means of activation. In most instances activation of the equipment requires either the application of supply voltage or the closure of a pair of switch contacts. Since a typical welding system will consist of individual welding components from a variety of sources, an automatic control system must be individually tailored to each specific welding system. Obviously the design and production of such specialized automatic control systems is expensive and adds considerably to the overall costs of a welding operation.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an automatic welding control system that is universally applicable to welding systems incorporating individual welding components from plural sources.